This invention relates generally to golf clubs and more particularly to the golf club used in putting a golf ball across a green.
The art of golf ball putting has been enhanced by various club head designs which are intended to achieve a particular functional result. One line of design effort is aimed at maximising the rotational inertia of the club head about the "sweet spot" or center of percussion of the head. This increase in rotational inertia improves the golfer's putting consistency by reducing unintentional club head rotation during the putting stroke and particularly at the instant of contact with the golf ball if contact is away from the center of percussion. Such off-center impact causes club head rotation and a misdirected golf ball. One such club head design is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,174,110 which includes inertia balls or masses attached to the ends of the club head. This device, however functional, is aesthetically lacking. Another inertial club head is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,873,094 which includes a plastic light transmitting medium with weights embedded or molded therein to achieve a particular aesthetic effect. U.S. Pat. No. 3,966,210 discloses a golf club head which also includes weights embedded near the ends of the club head, but includes shape means to house the embedded weights which may be aesthetically displeasing and spaces the weight means rearward from the plane or striking face of the club head. Likewise, the golf club taught in U.S. Pat. No. 1,901,562 includes embedded weights held within the club head by metal plates, the weights being spaced apart from one another and the face of the club head.
The instant invention provides a golf club putter having a head design which includes heavier formed ends to maximize club head rotational inertia in relation to particular club head size and weight proportions while also providing an aesthetically acceptable overall shape. Further, the heavier ends are achieved, not with weights embedded into a separate carrying medium, but by relatively heavier material forming the entire end portions of the head, and a lighter material forming the entire club head central portion, including the striking surfaces.